The Akshaya Patra Foundation has evolved and adapted to changing times over the last two decades, enhancing its feeding initiatives along the way. We have simultaneously introduced non-feeding endeavours to boost the impact of our core initiative, the school feeding programme. Children’s overall development and welfare are central to all our endeavours. Through these endeavours, we seek to contribute towards a world where children do not have to choose between food and education; they have the best of both.

Feeding Programmes

• PM POSHAN (Mid-Day Meal Scheme) – The school lunch programme mainly covers children studying in primary (I-V) and upper primary (VI-VIII) classes in government and government-aided schools. In some states, children in secondary (IX-X) classes are also included in the ambit of the programme.
• ICDS Anganwadi Feeding Programme – The target beneficiaries of ICDS feeding programme comprise pregnant women, nursing mothers and children in the age group of 0-6 years.
• Breakfast Programme – Breakfast Programme should be Morning Nutrition Programme with the description – Morning nutrition snacks are served to children to give them a healthy start at school.
• Food Assistance – The objective is to use the kitchen infrastructure for humanitarian relief work in times of adversity. While most of the efforts over the years have been at the regional level, during the COVID-19 pandemic, food relief was extended across the country.
• Feeding Homeless Mothers – In Vrindavan, Uttar Pradesh, cooked meals are provided to homeless women who are vulnerable to hunger.

Non-feeding Programmes

• National Endeavour for Student Transformation (NEST)

• • Scholarship Programme – The initiative identifies deserving government school and college students from the underserved sections of society and helps them source scholarships so that they can pursue further education.
  • School Rejuvenation Programme – Based on the Government’s Model School initiative, this endeavour aims to provide a conducive environment for children through a series of infrastructural and academic interventions. 
  • NEST Programme - The National Endeavour for Student Transformation (NEST) is a collective of education-related interventions that seek to go beyond meals to create an enabling ecosystem for children to learn, grow and realise their full potential. NEST works to enhance the overall schooling experience by improving learning environments, nurturing aspirations, supporting access to higher education and creating pathways for lifelong gro
  • Giving Every Dream a Chance: The initiative provides children with mentorship, training and exposure in diverse fields such as sports, music, robotics and coding. The initiative helps nurture their talents, broaden their horizons and equip them to pursue their aspirations with confidence.
  • Akshaya Patra Alumni Network (AAN): A platform to connect former beneficiaries of Akshaya Patra’s programmes through opportunities for upskilling, career guidance and professional networking. It fosters a community that supports lifelong learning and growth.
• Abhay – A remedial classes initiative aimed at boosting children’s academic performance through activity-based learning and extracurricular activities.